Love Thy Neighbor
by melodicunrest
Summary: WALKING DEAD AU. BETH POV Good grades, a great job, her own apartment, Beth was off to a pretty decent start at being on her own. But throw in Daryl Dixon, his jackass brother, and random phone hang ups? That would throw anyone off their game... (possible POV switches between her and Daryl, eventual smut and fluff and romance and all that jazz. Rating will change w/ the story)
1. Chapter 1

_**Well, after a longer hiatus than intended, here it is! If you loved our pair in the last story, this one is going to have a couple obstacles, twists, and turns. Hope y'all enjoy it!**_

* * *

_**"Will ya make up yer damn mind already?!"**_

If time fixed all, it certainly hadn't found a way to cure Daryl's impatience. I could remember a time when dragging him to McGinty's was an ordeal of it's own, nearly impossible actually. First it was because he didn't want people to see him in his bright green cast. Then it was because we were spending time with _my _friends. However, eventually my surly neighbor became fond of my little group and bringing him along no longer seemed like a chore. He usually stuck by me but over time had grown to accept Tyreese (mainly because he was the closest to Daryl's age) and Glenn (because 'the chinaman was an entertaining drunk). Apparently I was taking far too long getting dressed for Daryl's liking though.

"I mean seriously, ya look fine in whatever!" Daryl shouted from the living room as I was dressing in my bedroom. Even though we'd both decided on being friends, he still spent more time in my apartment than his own, not that I blamed him much. I would look for an escape too if I lived with his older brother, Merle.

"But I don't wanna look just _fine!_" I replied, throwing the recently rejected sweater onto the chair in the corner of my bedroom. Regardless of the fact that Daryl and I were "just friends", I was still adamant about dressing up when we went out. Sasha always told me it was because I was 'playing the game', and maybe she was right, but that didn't change the fact that I wanted to look my best. Settling on a bright red strapless shirt, dark blue jeans, and my black cowboy boots, I let my hair down and checked my makeup before walking out into the other room. "Alright, I'm ready!"

Daryl stood from my couch and stared at me. His look was a mix of desire and possession that I'd grown accustomed to seeing. While we both knew that neither of us were exactly happy with being platonic, neither of us mentioned otherwise. We both acknowledged that we'd rushed things a bit before and we were determined from allowing that to happen again. "The hell you are" he hissed, making his way into my room to grab my black sweater from its usual place behind my door. He threw it over my shoulders, careful not to let himself touch me before coming around into my view again.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked, my big sky doe eyes looking up into his darker, brooding blues. "I think I look fine."

He swallowed slightly before answering. "Yeah, and so will ev'ry other guy in that bar" he retorted. Even though I couldn't yet understand _all_ of the facets of Daryl's personality, I knew that he was protective to a fault. That was the risk I took when I grew closer to the guarded man and I was fully aware of the fact. I locked my eyes on him and creased my brow, letting him know that he was up to something again. He sighed loudly, exasperated, before continuing. "Just..._please_ wear the damn sweater? I don't feel like gettin' into any fights this time." Remembering what happened the last time I'd received unwanted attention at McGinty's and how I'd had to talk Officer Walsh out of arresting Daryl on the spot, I put my hands up in mock defeat before shrugging on the sweater and earning a knowing grin from the man before me.

"Happy now?"

And with a nod, we were out the door and walking downstairs to where the cab was already waiting. I'd learned by then to not let Daryl drive us on the motorcycle when we went out, even though it usually upset him that he had to be 'driven around like Miss Daisy'.

* * *

Once we pulled up to the bar and we split the fare, Daryl held the door as we both walked to the back and joined my friends. We were greeted by a warm chorus of already tipsy hoots and hollers and we took our normal seats, beside Sasha but staying together.

It didn't take long for the normal ribbing to start, and it was apparently Glenn's turn to kick it off. "Can you guysss jus date alreadyy?" the pizza boy yelled over the drunk twins from my psychology class attempting to sing "Livin' on a Prayer". Daryl and I looked at each other and then back at Glenn before the Asian man spoke again, a large smile coming to his lips. "Look! You even stare at me the same!" Everyone erupted into fits of laughter as the waitress came to take the order for our first round of drinks.

Shortly after our first couple rounds, I excused myself to use the restroom and was followed by Amy, one of my first friends I'd made when I first moved to Savannah. Luckily we were alone because the conversation we had would have been enough to make me physically ill.

"Beth can I ask you something?" the young blonde asked as she tussled her hair in the mirror and fixed her makeup. She was one of those girls who never had a hair out of place, her lips were always fire red, and her clothes always fit a bit _too_ well. If I didn't know her as well as I did, Amy would have reminded me of that vile woman I'd see at the Dixon's apartment so long ago. Shaking the bitter memory away, I smiled sweetly at my friend. "Of course, what's going on?"

Amy's cheeks blushed as bright as her lips as she leaned against the bathroom wall. "You and Daryl..." she said quietly, "Y'all are just friends now right?"

Her question made my stomach sink. I knew why she was asking, there was usually only one reason a woman would ask that of another. My mind began to fill with thoughts of my friend wrapped around Daryl, flirting with him, kissing him, everything I wanted to do. The second my thoughts shifted to _other things_, I quickly regained composure and started to wash my hands. "Yeah" I answered, my eyes trained on my hands as I wrung them to the point of pain. "We're just friends."

I felt arms wrap around my waist tightly and I heard happy squeals ringing in my ears. "Oh thank God" she sputtered, "I wanted to go for it but I wasn't sure, with y'all being so close and everything." Pulling away from me, she looked me dead in the eyes. "So it's okay if I..."

"Yup" I answered briskly, pulling away from her. "Totally fine. Best of luck to you." Before I could tell her how I really felt about it, she'd left me alone in the bathroom and I returned to the table to find her seated next to Daryl when she'd been previously on the other side next to Tyreese. I suppose he saw the look on my face because he swiftly pulled me down into the seat and ordered me one of the strongest drinks he could think of. I'd never been more grateful for alcohol until I saw Amy's hands grasping onto Daryl's, oblivious to the fact that he was obviously uncomfortable. Was it obvious, or was it because out of everyone at the table I was the only one that _knew_ Daryl Dixon.

After a few hours of drinking games, funny stories and a mild mannered arm-wrestling match between Tyreese and Daryl (with Glenn drunkenly commentating), I'd finally had enough to drink that the group was able to convince me to go and sing. Pulling me to the stage, Sasha picked the song for me before leaving me to rejoin our group. The second the melody hit my ears, my heart jumped into my throat. My blood raced as the mic was slipped into my hand and my eyes automatically found the all too familiar stare locked on me. Even with Amy's eager advances, I was the one who had his attention and I wasn't about to let go of it just yet.

Taking a deep breath I brought the mic to my lips, sat on the rickety wooden stool and let the words flow without thinking twice.

_"I feel a sin comin' on_  
_I feel a right that's about to go wrong_  
_I got a shiver down to the bone_  
_I feel a sin comin' on..."_

And boy, did I ever...

* * *

_**What did y'all think? Make sure to let me know! If anyone is curious, the song Beth sang is "I Feel a Sin Comin' On" by Pistol Annies.**_

_**I feel a sin comin' on**_  
_**I feel a right that's about to go wrong**_  
_**I got a shiver down to the bone**_  
_**I feel a sin comin' on**_

_**I gotta buzz in my brain**_  
_**Drunk on a love goin' down like champagne**_  
_**I got a feelin' it's gonna leave a lipstick stain**_  
_**And I'd be the only one to blame**_

_**And you can see it**_  
_**All over my face**_  
_**Sweet temptation**_  
_**All over the place**_  
_**Give me tall dark and handsome,**_  
_**Mix it up with something strong**_  
_**I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on**_

_**Please Jesus don't hold me back**_  
_**I know it ain't mine but I want it so bad**_  
_**The smoke in the whiskey**_  
_**Got me feeling easy**_  
_**And after I'll fade in the glass**_

_**And you can see it**_  
_**All over my face**_  
_**Sweet temptation**_  
_**All over the place**_  
_**Give me tall dark and handsome,**_  
_**Mix it up with something strong**_  
_**I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on**_

_**And you can see it (and you can see it)**_  
_**All over my face (all over my face)**_  
_**Sweet temptation**_  
_**All over the place**_  
_**Give me tall dark and handsome,**_  
_**Mix it up with something strong**_  
_**I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on**_  
_**I feel a sin (I feel a sin) comin' on**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**The night I opted to take a cab home by myself. **_

After going on stage, singing _that_ song, and having Daryl's eyes on me until I took my newly acquired seat beside Tyreese, I was ready to go home. Honestly, I had nothing to do with the alcohol I'd drank that night, it was all about the company. I couldn't go two seconds without seeing Amy flipping her hair, or giving Daryl some kind of fake smile, or hearing her exaggerated laugh when he said things that weren't even remotely that funny. The more advances I saw her make, the redder my sights became. It got to the point where I was physically nauseous and it had no correlation to the whiskey that was burning through my veins. She really did remind me of Carly, the girl who Merle had brought home for Daryl when we were fighting. The more she touched him, the more he recoiled. The fact that he didn't seem to be enjoying her attention made a deep, dark part of me grin wildly like as if I'd already won.

Finishing off my last shot, I stood up from the table albeit a bit wobbly, but began to say my goodbyes. Daryl had taken that as his cue to leave as well but I quickly shot him a look and placed my hand out as if to stop him.

"No, please" I said, my voice dripping with drunken sarcasm. "Don't let me interrupt your _fun._" He definitely noticed my attitude, his bright blue eyes locking onto mine is his typical icy glare.

"Ya seriously think Imma let you go home by yerself like this?" Daryl questioned as he started shrugging on his jacket. I knew that Amy was making him uncomfortable, that he hated being fawned over like that, but at that moment I just needed to leave and preferably without any Dixons at my side.

"Yup" I replied, dropping money onto the table so the remaining group could pay for my part of the tab. And waving goodbye, I left them all behind me and I could feel Daryl's eyes burning into the back of my head. Regardless of the obvious, I just kept walking and eventually hailed a cab before anyone else joined me outside the bar.

Once I was home, I kicked off my boots not caring where then ended up and began to strip. I couldn't stop thinking about Amy's hands all over Daryl and it made me ill. Why hadn't he stopped her? He was obviously put off by her advancements. Was it _really_ so hard to tell her to 'get the hell off'? I knew that my hard feelings were originating from jealousy, the fact that her hands got to grasp onto his strong arms, her hair brushed against his skin when mine no longer could. She was able to feel the heat radiating from his broken and healed again body with as close to him as she was and Amy had no problem making those facts painfully evident.

Every thought of the two of them made me crave him all the more. It was no surprise to me that I wasn't over Daryl. Ever since the breakfast after our fight and our conversation ending in the decision to be 'just friends', I hadn't been able to rid myself of my feelings for my rough-and-tumble neighbor. We saw each other almost everyday for Christ's sake. If we weren't at the bar, we were having dinner at my apartment. If we weren't having dinner, we were sitting around, watching movies on my couch while talking and drinking sweet tea. The only time we weren't really together was if we were working, if I was at school, or Daryl was off hunting. He even crashed on my couch a few nights a week, saying he preferred that to have to listen to Merle and his many "lady friends". I really didn't mind, except for the fact that I couldn't curl myself around him as I slept and he was only a few feet away.

Right as I was about to jump into the shower, I heard a knock, followed by my front door opening. I quickly grabbed my bathrobe and threw it over me, sprinting out into my living room to literally bump into Daryl, causing me to fall onto the floor. Luckily for me, my robe had stayed shut even as he pulled me off the ground and back onto my feet. Even once I was righted, he refused to release me. A couple of weeks prior, we'd swapped keys for many reasons. I gave him mine when I was going to visit my family for Thanksgiving so he could stay away from Merle and he'd given me his when the two brothers went on a camping trip and Daryl had wanted me to keep an eye on the place. I had ended up cleaning a bit, which made Daryl happier, but Merle had gotten upset when I moved his favorite mug that was shaped like "his favorite pair of jugs".

"Wanna tell me what that shit was all about?" Daryl growled, obviously referring to my not-so-subtle antics back at the bar. Looking up into his eyes I could tell that he was furious. I hadn't seen him this mad since I'd made the mistake of telling him that Jimmy had stopped by my house back home while I was visiting in order to 'make amends'. His nostrils were flaring, his breathing was ragged. It was almost like he'd run home from McGinty's instead of grabbing a cab home. I had just assumed that Amy would offer him a ride back.

"Not really..." I answered, trying to pull away from him. Sadly I was unable to. His years of gripping onto shreds of his life had apparently left him with hands strong enough to hold me in place. "Guess I just didn't want to keep you from enjoying yourself."

Daryl scoffed at me and finally released me as he ran his fingers through his shaggy midnight hair. "Yeah," he replied, throwing himself onto my sofa. "I was real into 'er. Glad yer so observant."

"Well she looked like she was having fun." I couldn't contain the snide remark as I leaned against the wall of the hallway that led to my bedroom.

"Jus' cause she was havin' fun, didn' mean I was."

I looked down at floor before sighing. Tightening the belt around my waist, I went and sat beside Daryl and dropped my head on the top of it. I couldn't tell him what was actually on my mind, it wasn't worth the hassle. He'd made it perfectly clear that he wanted to be friends, that he didn't want to rush things anymore. Regardless of whether or not I was fond of the decision I had to accept it and get over it. I hadn't had much of a choice. Turning so I could face him, I could feel my cheeks burning bright. "You're right" I replied honestly. "I shouldn't have done that to you."

Daryl was about to answer when my phone began to ring. Leaning over and looking at Daryl's watch, I saw it was a quarter to two in the morning. I thought the only reason someone could be calling me that late was for an emergency so I raced to the cordless phone on the wall and picked it up within three rings.

"Hello...?" I asked, my stomach in knots thinking the worst by default. I imagined my father in the hospital, my sister in jail, or my mother being rushed to the emergency room in an ambulance. What made the pain worse was the fact that no one was responding. I greeted the airwaves again only to be met by the same nothingness. After a third time, I hung the phone back on the cradle only for it to ring again when I'd sat down. Daryl got up that time and made his way to the phone, answering it in a more than gruff tone. A few seconds later, the line went dead.

If I had wanted Daryl gone before, _maybe_ it was a better idea if he stayed after all.

**Sorry if this seemed a tad short. The next chapter will be better, I promise. *coughDARYLCHAPTERcough***


	3. Chapter 3

_**That wasn' the last call Beth got...**_

Not a day went by tha' I didn' think about 'er. When she'd answered and got nothin', I hadn't thought much about it. But, when whoever the hell it was called _again_, I knew I had to answer it. Even if we weren't together I couldn' help but wanna protect her. Here was this beautiful, soft, innocent little girl and someone was crank callin' her, scarin' her outta her damn mind. It made me so angry! What made me even more heated was when she didn' let me stay there with 'er. I didn' even want in 'er bed. I woulda slept on the fuckin' floor before leavin' her alone. She kept tellin' me that it was nothin', that it was probably some stupid kids, but somethin' didn't feel right to me. I'd been that kid before. You didn't crank call someone just'a sit there and be silent. You called ta make obscene jokes and to make little ol' ladies cringe.

It'd been a week since that night at Beth's place and I was still feelin' weird about those calls. I'd made it a point to stop by and check in on 'er everyday since, makin' sure she was alright and keepin' my eye on the place. She gave me shit about it, tellin' me I was worryin' for nothin', but I just glared at 'er and ignored it. Jus' cause she wasn' my girl didn' mean I didn' care. Hell, if I had my way, she woulda been mine that mornin' after I got out the hospital after my accident. But I knew I was no good for a girl like her. I couldn' give 'er some fancy house, or fancy clothes, or take 'er to all these foreign places. I knew I couldn' be the kinda guy to leave her cute lil' random gifts or cook her surprise dinners. And girls like Beth? They deserved the world, a world I knew I couldn' give her if my life depended on it.

But the more time I spent with 'er, the worse it got. I'd be sittin' on her couch with 'er, watchin' some stupid movie and she'd drop her head inta my lap like it was nothin'. All I wanted was to run my dirty fingers through 'er golden hair. If we went out to the bar, I always left with heat in my ears from havin' to keep myself from beatin' every man in that joint that even _looked _at 'er. I knew that look in their eyes, I'd even looked at 'er a few times with the same exact gaze, like when I was huntin' out in the woods. It was the way a predator looked at it's prey, the way a bear stared at a lil' doe trapped in the bush. It made me sick. At least the guys that were watchin' her were closer to 'er age. They weren' old enough ta be her daddy like I was.

One night, we were both havin' dinner together when she asked the last question I'd ever wanted to hear.

_"What do you think of Zach?" _

It made my gut churn like I'd eaten some bad deer. I knew why she was askin'. We were _friends_, weren' we? She had to be askin' for my "male opinion" like she usually did when it came to boys, clothes, anythin' really. At one point I jus' thought it was my opinion she was lookin' for but I knew she didn't value my own thoughts that much.

Chewin' on my steak, one's that I bought and took over for Beth ta cook for the two of us, I looked up at 'er and shrugged. I knew _of_ the lil' prick, didn't really know much else. He was one of the guys I hated most when we went to the bar. He was always there and he really liked his booze. He'd sat with us a couple'a times since he knew Beth and Sasha from class, but it usually made her uncomfortable. Why was she askin' about what I thought of 'im?

"Aw come on!" she whined, typical of when I didn' give 'er the answer she was lookin' for. I couldn' help but grin at 'er, she was cute even when she was tryin' to be upset with me. "I'm bein' serious, Daryl! What do ya think of him?" Another thing I liked about 'er? When she got upset, or when she'd spent too much time with me, her pretty lil' Georgia peach accent came out and it made 'er all that more adorable.

"He's alright" I said roughly, puttin' a piece of steak in my mouth again. If I was eatin' I wouldn' have to answer, mainly 'cause she hated it when I ate and talked at the same time. "Why you askin'?"

That soft pink color came to her cheeks as she sipped her water. _Good Lord do I remember that blush, it haunted my dreams_. "No reason" she replied coyly, "He asked me out ta this restaurant this Friday and I'm tryin' to decide if I wanna go."

Zach never gave me the best of impressions, if I was bein' honest. He was dumber than dirt, never paid a lick of attention to anythin' but himself, he was a boy for Christ's sake. God only knows why she was even considerin' goin'. I remember there was a point when just the sight of the kid would send 'er runnin' for the hills. But, they did have class together. Maybe she saw things in 'im I didn'. Still, didn' mean I had to like him, or worse, condone her goin' out on some date with the biggest moron I'd ever met, apart from my dumbass brother that is.

Again, I shrugged. "You ain't dumb" I finally said, droppin' my utensils and lookin' her dead in the eyes. "Trust yer gut, and I don' mean the 'oh he's kinda cute' one neither." I wasn' about to be her daddy and tell 'er who she could and couldn' date. I wasn' her man either. Regardless of what I said, she had the final call. If she wanted to date some loser, who was I ta tell 'er differently? She'd wanted me, right? At least I was man enough to admit I wasn' good enough for her, unlike him.

Before I knew it, bright blue eyes were locked on me and I couldn' shake 'em. It was like she could see through me, to the parts of me I kept hidden from myself. She dropped 'er elbows to the table and balanced her beautiful face on her knuckles. "Come on" she breathed in that way she does when she wants somethin' from me. "I trust your opinion more than anyone else's. He's a bit annoying sure," and I couldn' help but scoff at that, "But he's got a good heart. His intentions are in the right place.

"Yeah, your bedroom" I replied under my breath, not wantin' to think of Zach's 'intentions'. I wasn't stupid. I had male parts, male thoughts, testosterone and all that shit. I knew what he _really_ wanted, but did Beth? Sighin', I saw back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest before speakin' again. "Look Beth, If ya wanna go, go. If ya don't, don't. All I'm gonna say is that you can do better than some..." I accented my words with my hands flappin' out away from me, "...some boy two screws short of a toolbox."

She laughed at me with that cute giggle of hers before she turned her attention back to our meal. I would'a said more if the phone hadn't rung. Beth got up and went to answer, and judgin' by the look on her face, it wasn' exactly welcome. I pushed myself out from the table and hurried over to 'er, grabbin' the phone as I gently pushed 'er away.

"Listen to me, ya fuckin' coward" I growled into the receiver, Beth's face frozen into one of fear. I'd fix that later, but for now my focus was whatever asshole was on the other end of the line. "This better be the last time ya call here, are ya hearin' me?!"

A cold chuckle came through, before some voice I'd never heard before. "Don't worry _Daryl_. Eventually, I won't need to call. Make sure to tell Beth that she looks beautiful in that dress for me." And that was it before the line went dead.

All I could do was turn and stare at Beth, my eyes lookin' over her favorite dress, the white one with little blue flowers that made her eyes shine. And for the first time I could remember, I was scared.

* * *

**[dun dun DUUUUUUUN!]**


	4. Chapter 4

_**"What's that look for...?"**_

I'd never seen Daryl look at me the way he did during that phone call. The look of sheer _terror_ in his eyes as he looked me over was one I'll likely never forget. It was the kind of look that gave me chills, like he was looking at a ghost in my window.

With a sterner voice, but a shaky one, I questioned him again. "Who was it, Daryl? What did they say?"

He didn't even answer as he hung up the phone. Once it was on the cradle, he slammed his fists down on my table which caused me to jump at least a foot. I couldn't help but wonder what had made him so angry. Who could have called _my _apartment and said something that elicited this kind of response from him? "What in God's name are you doing?!" I exclaimed, my heart racing and my chest heaving from the shock of his actions, "What was that for?!"

Moving away, he ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly. I tried to go and open the window to let in a bit of fresh air, thinking it would help us both calm down, but he quickly grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me back toward him without warning. He still wasn't explaining himself and this newest reaction was crossing the line. I pulled my arm in attempts to free myself but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. "Daryl...you're scaring me" I said quietly, trying to get him to listen, "Please, stop. Tell me what's going on."

As if I'd hit him, Daryl dropped my wrist as rapidly as he'd grabbed it. "You're afraid of _me?" _he asked, his voice tense. "You _really _wanna know who tha' was on the damn phone?! I couldn' tell ya if I wanted to!"

I'd never seen him behave that way. He was being so rude, so secretive, like when we'd first met a few months prior. However, the only difference was that this time, his actions were physically intimidating and they'd never been before. I started getting flashbacks of Jimmy, slamming me into the counter and yelling at me. As Daryl moved closer to me, I moved away, fearful of what he was thinking and feeling. "Why are you acting this way, Daryl? What the hell happened?"

The transformation in his attitude was quicker than I'd expected, and arrived sooner as well. Once he read the fear in my voice and movements he sighed loudly and placed his hands on my shoulders gently. "Beth," he said quietly, like someone could hear us. "I think it's the same jackass that kept callin' and hangin' up." I still couldn't understand why that was such a big deal. Clearly the person on the other end had said something that got him riled up but why wouldn't he tell me what was said?

"Alright" I replied, placing my hands over his, "And...? What did they say? Are they gonna keep callin'?"

Once I asked, Daryl could barely look at me. If I didn't know better, it looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Beth he said you looked pretty in yer dress..."

It felt like I'd been hit by a semi-truck. I couldn't catch my breath if my life depended on it. My stomach began to churn and it took effort to keep my dinner down. Moving away from Daryl, I went and sat down on the couch, hoping that sitting down would help. It didn't. Now the only thing I felt was fear. Someone was watching me inside my own home. Were they watching me through the windows? Were there cameras in vases or picture frames? The more I thought about it, the harsher my breathing got. I could feel myself starting to panic so I brought my knees to my chest in hopes of calming down. Clearly Daryl was bothered as well. He sat on the couch beside me, his forearms resting on his thighs, his head hanging low. Suddenly I understood why he'd reacted the way he did. I wasn't the only one who was afraid.

"You're gonna stay with Merle and me" he spoke finally, clearly, like he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. I could feel his arm moving as he brought his thumb to his lips so he could bite the already raw skin there, the ultimate sign of Daryl Dixon's comfort level. He was thinking, I could tell, trying to figure out a solution or a way to keep me safe. Looking over into his eyes, there was a determination there, one that set my entire body on fire. "No one can...watch you there."

There was something else he wasn't telling me, something he was keeping from me. After getting to know Daryl, I had begun to figure him out slowly but surely, and I was able to tell when he wasn't being forthcoming. "What aren't you telling me, Daryl?" came a voice I didn't recognize. I couldn't tell if it was because of my fear, my annoyance at him keeping secrets, or some mix of both.

With a sigh, Daryl turned and looked at me, his face pale and sullen. He still looked like he was going to cry and it broke my heart. "He said tha' eventually he wouldn' hafta call ya."

That's when I lost it. Rushing to my trash can I began to vomit, my entire body shuddering as the tears began to fall. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know whether or not to call the police or to call my father. If he knew where I lived, he had to know where I worked and went to school. That thought only made me sicker. Someone was watching me and I didn't even know who.

Daryl was behind me quickly, grabbing my hair and holding it above my head while stroking my back softly. With every brush of his fingertips, I could feel his hand shaking, and the experienced hunter's hands _never _shook. "I'm serious, Beth" he said softly as I kept my head buried in the bin. Every time I thought I could stop, my body proved me wrong and just kept going. "If yer there, I can make sure nothin' happens to ya. Please?" And Daryl Dixon never said 'please'.

Once I was confident that there was nothing left for me to expel, I stood up and made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I couldn't stop wondering if that creep was watching me, even then. I could see myself pale in the mirror as I thought about him watching me in the shower, or using the bathroom. As I brushed, my eyes roamed the small room, desperately looking for something out of place or something I didn't recognize. There were times that small things caught my eye but after investigating I realized my eyes were playing tricks on me. I was paranoid and afraid, a mix that wasn't good in any sense. When I was finished I found Daryl in my room, holding a weekend bag from my closet. "Pack up whatcha need and we'll go there now."

Grabbing the bag, I looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. "And Merle?" Not to mention, where would I sleep? Merle always slept in the bedroom, that I knew. Would I be sleeping on the couch? Where would Daryl sleep? I had no idea how his idea could possibly work.

"We'll work it out" he replied, moving to my window. I knew why he did it, to prevent anyone from seeing inside, but the thought behind his actions wasn't as comforting as he intended. It only reminded me how someone had their eyes on me. I internally beat myself for not putting up curtains the second I moved in. I'd wanted the natural sunlight to shine into my home but I hadn't ever thought that someone's predatory gaze would be filtering in too. Just by looking in his eyes I knew Daryl wasn't going to budge on his proposition. He had that determined, unshakable gaze that normally agitated me. But that night it didn't bother me at all. Instead of fighting him, I took the bag and set it on my bed, packing enough clothes to last a few days. I decided that I'd call the cops when I was at school the next day, knowing Merle wouldn't take well to police officers sniffing around and especially if I was going to stay with them.

With my packed bag on his shoulder, Daryl gently placed his hand against my cheek, locking his gaze on mine. "Nothin' is gonna happen to you," he breathed, his voice laced with concern, care, and promise. "I'll protect you with everythin' I've got."

* * *

**Hey y'all! See? They care, guys! Quit freaking out! Do you honestly think I'd break them up permanently? Come on! Just wait, it'll get better soon. I promise. Please, don't write me asking why they're "just friends", because clearly they're just fighting it. Give it time guys, be patient and it will ALL be worth it ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Time went by slower than molasses in January.**_

That night when Daryl brought me to his apartment, and after we'd finally explained the entire situation to Merle, the two brothers sent me off to the bedroom to sleep. How they expected me to sleep after everything that had happened earlier that evening, I had no idea. My mind wouldn't stop racing and neither would my heart. Even being in the Dixons' terrified me. While I consciously knew there was probably no safer for me to be at that moment, I still couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. Was that what my life was going to be from then on? Rampant paranoia, constantly looking over my shoulder. Just the thought alone made me sick to my stomach and also made me thank God I had already expelled as much as I possibly could have.

Daryl walked me into the bedroom and his eyes swept over it as if he was looking for something out place like I had in my bathroom. I could still see the look of fear in his eyes, the look I never thought I'd live long enough to see. Daryl was the strongest, bravest person I knew. Nothing scared him. But this? This hit him harder than I thought possible.

"Yer gonna sleep in the bed, I'm gonna sleep on the floor, and Merle is taking the couch" he reported, grabbing a spare comforter and pillow from the bedroom closet and throwing it down in front of the door but off to the side. His demeanor was rough, as it usually was _around other people_. Daryl didn't usually keep up the routine with me, so seeing him that cold was like being thrown back to when we'd first met.

Looking down at his makeshift pallet bed, I crossed my arms and brought my gaze back to him. "You don't have to sleep down there..." I said quietly, almost ashamedly. I quickly dropped my eyes to my shoes, anywhere to avoid his icy stare. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

"We ain't havin' a slumber party, Beth" he hissed, shrugging off his leather jacket and throwing it onto a nearby chair. "And that was different an' you know it."

And before I could say anything else he was out the door, slamming it behind him and leaving me to my thoughts.

* * *

**"****_So what're we gonna do, lil' brother?"_**

I had _no idea _what to tell Merle if I wanted to speak. The only thing runnin' through my mind was keepin' Beth safe from whoever was after 'er. Was it some dick she'd met at the bar? Some jerk from school? Hell, it could even be some 'devout' man from that Church she works at. There were too many choices and it was startin' to make my head hurt. All I could do was shrug, pourin' myself a mug'a whiskey and knockin' it back like it was water. I was workin' on my second mug before my dipshit brother was tryin' to get my attention again.

"She ain't a puppy, Darylina" Merle said with a laugh, which only made me see red and fly at him, pinnin' him to the wall in anger. He definitely wasn' used to me defyin' him.

"This ain't funny, asshole," I spat, my hand at his throat. "Someone's watchin' 'er. Close. And I'll be damned if Imma let anythin' happen to 'er."

Merle's eyes widened a bit at my sudden attack, but all he did was hold his hands up like a criminal claimin' innocence. "A'right, a'right. I got it baby brother," he said seriously. "We got 'er. Ain't no one comin' for 'er here. Ya know that."

It took all my sense to let go of Merle and back the fuck off. I ran my hands through my hair as I paced around the shitty place we called 'home'. I kicked an empty bourbon bottle across the hardwood floor before it shattered at the nearby wall. The thought of someone watchin' Beth pissed me off, hell, it even _scared_ me. I'd never admit it though, not to no one. She needed me to keep 'er safe and how could I do that if she knew I was afraid of somethin' happenin' to 'er? And if it did? I'd never be able to forgive myself.

"What am I supposed ta do, Merle?" I asked, which wasn't usually my go-to. "How am I supposed ta keep 'er safe if I don' even know who's comin' after 'er?"

My big brother came and brought us both a drink but made sure to not get up in my space. He knew how I was when I was angry and the last thing he wanted was for me to rig him up again. "You'll do it, baby brother. No doubt in my mind 'bout that one. Dixon's are like pitbulls. Fiercely loyal and a force to be reckoned with. Ya already know that."

Taking the glass in my hand, I downed the whiskey fast. All I could do was hope my dumbass brother was actually right for a change.

* * *

_**The sound of something, or someone, hitting the wall made my eyes shoot open. **_

I knew Daryl was stressing about the situation, but for him to start throwing things? It kind of scared me. All I wanted to do was go out into the living room, wrap my arms around him, and tell him that everything would be okay. Even though this was _my_ problem, I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. Daryl was a hunter, he knew how to catch his prey. What if that's what I was? Just a little doe in someone's crosshairs?

That's when my mind started to race. Who could it possibly be? Was it someone in one of my classes? I didn't really socialize with many people except my usual group. My heart raced at the thought of my predator being someone so close to me. But I would have noticed right? Or wasn't that the point of a stalker? To be afraid of **one person** and not the world? What if it was the exact opposite? What if they worked with me at the Church? What if it was someone Daryl knew? What if it was someone in our building, or someone I didn't even know? The variables were just too much for my brain to process given all the trauma that night. What I would have given for Daryl to come back.

As if by some divine influence, I heard the doorknob turn and the door creak as Daryl let himself in. It wasn't more than a millisecond before I heard the lock click too. I sat up in the dark room and focused my sights on my best friend, somewhat shocked by what I saw. Right beside the door was a shotgun I knew Merle used when the boys went hunting. The thought that it was there for my protection was sobering, to say the least.

"Go back to sleep, Beth," Daryl murmured, setting up his pallet right in front of the door, creating some sort of human blockade. I knew he wouldn't get much sleep, given the situation and his sleeping arrangements. That was the last thing I wanted.

"Wasn't sleepin'" I drawled, pulling my knees into my chest. "-Kinda can't." Even with Daryl in a locked room with me, I still felt like a target in the middle of a field. It was almost like I could feel my predator's eyes on me, even though I _knew_ they weren't. Just the fear alone was enough to distract me from getting my such needed rest. There was one thing I knew would help, but I also knew I probably wouldn't get it.

"Daryl?" I breathed into the dark room, watching him as he shifted to face me.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice a bit lighter than before. Maybe that was his way of keeping me calm, of reassuring me that if there was anywhere I was safe it was right there with him. There was no doubt in my mind about that fact.

I swallowed a bit before speaking up again, too afraid of the rejection to voice my needs right away. "Can you please sleep up here with me?" I asked, my voice soft and shaking. "-Please?"

With a soft sigh, Daryl got up, took his shotgun in hand, and made his way to the bed. He set the gun against the nightstand, easily within reach if he needed it, and sat down before unlacing his boots. I could feel the warmth radiating off him along with the smell of whiskey on his breath, and oddly both sensations comforted me. Knowing Daryl was within arms' reach already made me feel so much safer than I had before and the gun didn't even play a minor role. After he was done, he laid down facing away from me toward the door and his weapon. I knew he probably wouldn't sleep but the fact that he was even trying to make me feel better made a small smile curl my lips.

"Ya gonna stare at me all night or are ya gonna get some sleep, girl?" he growled, his voice low and steady. I envied his ability to keep his cool, even if it was just for show.

Rolling over onto my side, my back facing Daryl, I curled into a ball and clutched the blanket around me, craving the false sense of security. I was safe, I reminded myself. I had Daryl at my side and a shotgun at his. Merle was out in the living room, probably with a weapon of his own. I was safe, I was safe,** I was safe. **

"Goodnight, Daryl" I said softly, my voice nothing but waves on the air. "And thank you."

All I got was a soft grunt in reply, but I knew that from that moment on? Everything would be alright as long as I had him.

_Sorry y'all for posting this so late. I was sick and in the hospital for awhile and when I got out, I had NO muse at all. However, I finally finished this chapter and I hope y'all enjoy it. I'm gonna be a lot better about this whole thing. Promise. 3_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Once Daryl laid next to me, sleep overcame me like a storm. **_

I had slept through the night and woke up the next morning, freaking out because I was late for school. My shooting up in bed elicited an attempt at a calming noise from Daryl, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room with his shotgun close by and his knives and whetstone in his lap.

"Calm down, Beth," the hunter murmured, his eyes never leaving the task at hand. "Yer okay, everythin's alright."

Shaking my head, I ran my fingers through my wild blonde hair. "I have class today," I replied, my voice hoarse from all the crying I'd done the night before. Peering over at the nightstand, I noticed that the clock said it was 10:37, an hour and a half past my class time. "But I missed it. I guess, never mind."

Setting his tools down, Daryl leaned over, resting his forearms on his knees. I could see the bags underneath his eyes. I knew what they meant. He'd stayed up all night watching over me like some type of guardian angel regardless of the fact that I'd asked him to sleep. I honestly should have expected him to do the exact opposite of what I asked, but I had just wished that maybe he wouldn't take all this on his own shoulders. "I used yer phone ta call Sasha," he explained, running his nimble fingers through his midnight hair. "Told 'er ya wouldn' be comin' in today. Said she'd take notes fer ya." His face quickly morphed into that of an over protective parent. "She also said somethin' about a coffee date?" he asked gruffly, "but I told 'er no can do."

I swung my legs off the bed so my feet were touching the cold hardwood floor. Sasha and I had coffee every week since we became friends years before. It was a tradition we hardly ever broke and I didn't intend to start doing so then. "I can go meet her for coffee Daryl," he replied sternly. "We go every week for years now. I can't just _not_ go."

Daryl looked at me like I'd just said the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. "Exactly," he said just as harshly. Pointing at me with his hunting knife, he peered down the blade at me. "First trick ta huntin'? Ya learn how yer game behaves."

It hit me in that instant. Daryl was right. If I really did have a stalker, he'd know my routine. He'd know that I always have coffee with Sasha. He'd know where we go, where we sit. We even usually got the same drinks. It all made me question what else this mystery man knew about my life. However, with as scared as I was, there was also a part of me that refused to let this selfish ass take away my life. I wasn't about to sit back and change my entire life just because of this man. "He can't take my life from me, Daryl," I responded, standing finally even though my knees were still a bit shaky. "I'm going to meet Sasha for coffee and that's that."

Huffing, Daryl rapidly stood from his chair. "How am I supposed ta protect ya if ya run off like some little girl?!" he bellowed, slamming the knife down into the wooden peg on the bed frame so it stood on its own. Not expecting a reaction like that, I pulled back and away from him, almost scared. Of course he noticed my movements, which made him run his fingers though his hair again only this time it was aggressive, frantic. "I can't keep ya safe if ya can't listen, Beth. If ya go, yer only makin' it easier fer 'im."

Throwing on my shoes and grabbing a jacket from Daryl's closet, I opened the bedroom door to find the apartment empty. "Then you can come with me," I offered. "Just make sure to give us space to talk..."

"You have to go to the police, Beth," Sasha warned, sipping on her espresso quickly after I finished regaling her with my story. The look in her eyes had started off as one of disbelief but by the time I pointed out Daryl, sitting in the back with a plain black coffee and a motorcycle magazine, she'd finally started to believe me. "If someone is really following you, this isn't something you and Daryl should handle on your own. Y'all need help."

Sipping my caramel macchiato, I quickly set it down once my hands stopped shaking. "I'm goin' there today," I answered, my gaze dropping down to my paper coffee cup. I knew I had to report what had happened, but honestly what could the police do for me that Daryl couldn't? They couldn't post a police officer at my door 24/7 but Daryl lived right across the hall. They couldn't arrest anyone without proof of what happened and who had done it, which I couldn't give because I had no clue who was following me. They could probably run my phone line and see where the phone call came from, but that was about it. "I just don't know what they can do for me. That's all."

I looked across the quiet college coffee bar and took in my surroundings. The same brick walls and posters, the worn and comfortable leather couches encircling the room. There were multiple people there that I'd recognized from previous stops into the shop. I could feel my heart rate quicken as a thought came to mind. What if my stalker was there? What if it was someone inside? I quickly tried to figure out who had been there before I showed up versus who'd arrived after but my brain began to blank out. It wasn't until I heard Sasha's concerned voice that I was finally able to snap back into the present. "-Still need to go," she instructed, taking my hand in hers. It reminded me of when Maggie would do that for me when I was scared as a child. "Go, go to the station and file a report. Then go call your sister and brother. Maybe it's time they came for a visit."

I knew Sasha was right, but I was terrified to call Maggie and Shawn. If my stalker was someone from Savannah, maybe they didn't know about my siblings. Maybe that made my family safe. Shaking my head free of the paranoid delusions that were forming inside my head, I sipped my coffee again. "Maybe," I replied, looking over and locking eyes with Daryl. A sudden sense of calm came over me, like someone had simply washed the fear away. Even if I couldn't have Shawn and Maggie, at least I had Daryl. He'd never let anything happen to me. I knew that with every ounce of my being regardless of our 'status'. "Maybe I'll call them after I get a bit more information. Wouldn't want to scare them for nothing, y'know?"

She was just so _beautiful_...

Her hair was shining in the light of the coffee shop like the heavenly halo it was. The bright gold was enough to draw in my attention the instant I pulled my camera from my bag. I could tell she was wearing her favorite dress still, _my _favorite dress. It was like she wanted me to see her in it, like she was putting on a show just for me. That's all this was, _a show_. She didn't want to be too easy. She was just playing hard to get. I knew that, and it only made the game that much more fun. The closer I got, the harder she played, and it was the most fun I'd had in years.

After snapping a few more photos for our album, something else caught my eye. _Her jacket_. The sleeves were far too long to fit her slender arms. The jacket itself hung too far down her tight, toned legs. I could see tears and patches from excessive use. I knew who's jacket it was and it infuriated me. Didn't Daryl realize she was better off? Didn't he see how happy I made her? How I compliment her and watch her constantly to make sure she's safe? I was providing things for her that he could never do. Couldn't he just accept that and move on? How could Beth and I start our relationship if that redneck moron was standing in my way? Moving my lens so I could scope out the cafe, I gritted my teeth at what I found. Lo and behold was the hunter himself, sitting in the back of the room hiding behind some magazine. Obviously he didn't want her to know he was there. It was then that I knew my true purpose. I had to save Beth from her evil, repulsive, dimwitted neighbor and his convict brother. No woman like Beth deserved to be in such company, to have her reputation runined by associating with such scum.

Guess Daryl Dixon was just one more obstacle that needed to be dealt with...

...and soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is going to be a bit...different. Just FYI. Feel free to comment and provide helpful feedback! 3 xx**

* * *

**_It had been eight days since Beth and Sasha's coffee date. _**

While I looked over the calendar that hung on my wall, I noticed there were more gaps than were normal or acceptable. Ever since I met her, the large boxes were filled coffee dates, karaoke bar performances, classes, and every other time our paths crossed. Hell, I hadn't even seen her at Church in a couple weeks. There was no doubt in my mind that it had _something_ to do with those damn Dixons, but what was I supposed to do? Beth, while mine, was still an independent woman. How would she react if I started telling her who she could and couldn't spend time with? That was not how our relationship worked. If I started taking that away, she'd leave me and I couldn't have that.

She'd gone to school as normal, but hadn't spent time with any of her friends afterwards like she normally did. She didn't go to the library to study, she didn't go to Starbucks to get her post-lecture latte. It was the beginning of Pumpkin Spice season, her favorite, and she didn't go? It worried me. I couldn't help but wonder why. I'd been trying to make sure she was alright, checking in on her every night, but it was like she was barely in her apartment too. The lights rarely came on and when they did, they were blocked out by her new, adorably striped curtains. I hadn't noticed those until I'd gotten home from work one night. Yeah, they hindered my view a bit, but it was nice to see her trying to make her apartment a bit more homey. And I couldn't blame her really. With the windows open like she had them, _anyone_ could just look inside.

The thing that really upset me was Daryl's inserting himself into Beth and my's relationship. Couldn't he just accept the fact that he'd fucked up and lost her? Why couldn't he leave her alone? He'd had his chance already even if I couldn't understand why that goddess had even given him the time of day in the first place. Daryl didn't deserve a woman like her, someone so pure, so beautiful, so loving. From what I'd seen of him? He was disgusting. He rode around on that motorcycle like a bat out of Hell. He'd taken my Beth on that death trap more than once! Wasn't he afraid for her safety? What if she fell off? Granted, he'd at least had the decency of giving her a helmet, but still. I'd seen how he looked after his accident. I didn't know that it involved the bike until I'd seen one of his trailer trash friends drop it off a couple days later in a pickup truck donned in Confederate flags of all shapes and sizes. That was more proof that Beth didn't belong in his world or vice versa. What could they possibly even have in common? He was the Devil and she was an angel, perfect in every way. He tainted her in ways I could never imagine possible.

Oh, but how my day brightened as it went on. I got a few glimpses of my girl, which made the long hours of work pass by in the blink of an eye. It was a Tuesday, which meant she had work at the Church nursery, and I'd even been lucky enough to stop by for a little while to spend some time with her. It was by the grace of God that my buddy called me up and asked me to bring his kid to school next door. If I hadn't? I wouldn't have been able to see her until after I had clocked out. When I laid my eyes on her, it was like my breath had been sucked straight out of my chest. She just looked so damn gorgeous in her skinny jeans, t-shirt, and Chuck Taylor's. And the way those kids looked at her? I imagined that our kids would look at her in a similar fashion, with nothing but the same wonder and love that I had in my eyes when I saw her.

And when she said 'Hello' to me in the hallway as I left the kid's classroom? I wanted to reach out and take her into my arms right there and then, but I knew we weren't at the stage yet. If I had just threw myself all over her in her place of business, she'd never forgive me. We were still in the Courting phase. I was still earning her trust. I knew my little jab at Daryl on the phone had probably already cost me a few points and set me back a few paces on the game board, but what else was I supposed to do? I _had_ to convince him to leave her alone. I thought by letting him know that she was spoken for, he'd quit dragging her through the mud with him but apparently it was going to take a bit more to throw him off her trail. I just had to figure out what that was.

I'd gotten to drive by the Church a few times that day too which only made it better. I even got to have my coffee while watching her at recess with her class. I'd gotten a couple calls around her area so I'd caught her sitting outside by herself on a small break (must have been nap time), spending some time on her phone. I couldn't help but wonder when I'd get the privilege of having her cell number. I had the phone number to her apartment, so calling wasn't ever an issue. However, having a number where I could reach her everywhere, anytime, was more than appealing. I'd loved the chance to send her 'Good Morning' texts, or messages telling her how beautiful and wonderful she is. I bet Daryl didn't do that for her. He didn't seem like the romantic, Prince Charming on a white horse, type. I wanted to be those things for her, to show her how a real man could take care of her and love her the way she deserved. I knew that when Beth gave me the chance to make her happy she would never regret it. All I needed was to take care of a few loose ends.

Around 4:30, I got a call to a building a couple blocks away from where the three of us lived so I decided to stop by theirs on my way back. I worked my way up to the third floor and immediately found the door I was looking for. I took my notebook from my back pocket and wrote a quick note, leaving it folded in the door. If that didn't work? Things were bound to get a lot more interesting...

* * *

**Sorry guys, this chapter was a bit shorter than I would have liked. I had no idea where it was going to go, but I kinda like how it came out.**

**Also, plotting for the rest of the story is officially finished AND plotting for the next installment is under way! I'm so excited to be back and to have these guys rolling around in my head again. Hope you guys are digging the story so far and make sure to keep your eyes on the Tumblr page. I'll be posting a really special thing reeeeeeeeeeeally soon! 3 xx**


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